KR20100016352A - Air control regulator for combustion chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

An air control regulator regulates the amount of air flowing into the inlet of a combustion chamber by causing flowing air to support a disc located in the air passage against the force of gravity. Air passes around the edges of the disc and is channeled into a plurality of airflows by ovoid depressions in the inner surfaces of the regulator forming a venturi chamber. By regulating the airflow into the combustion chamber, combustion efficiency is improved.

Description

AIR CONTROL REGULATOR FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBER}

The present invention relates to an air control regulator for a fireplace, furnace, boiler, or equivalent.

This application claims the benefit of US Patent §119 (e) to New Zealand Provisional Application No. 181343NZ, filed April 11, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Operation of the stove usually requires air inflow to the firebox. Examples of fireboxes include, but are not limited to, furnaces, boilers, or the like. The firebox is then connected to a manifold system that includes a network of pipes that can "suck" the air required by the combustion process during operation, or have air inlet pipes capable of recovering air. Can be integrated. Air is important in combustion, resulting in combustion rate and heat output.

Means present for controlling air include manifolds or piping systems with several holes or vents. Some manifolds may have ends covered with movable vent covers. This type of system is generally operated manually and is adjusted according to changing conditions in relation to some environmental fluctuations, for example, changes in temperature and wind. Problems often arise in such systems when there is insufficient air in the fire, or vice versa, when there is too much air, which can cause the fire to burn too quickly and consume more fuel than necessary.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air control regulator having moderate production costs, automatic or self-regulating operation, simple installation, and near-moving parts. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator that can be retrofitted to an existing firebox and can be coupled to a new firebox. Another object of the present invention is to adapt to most situations and adapt to changes in firebox size, chimney length, fuel size, stalking process, start-up and stalk in a fuel-rich state. An air control regulator having a compact design can be provided. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator having a lean fuel burn. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator which can be manually adjusted and discernable during operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator capable of responding to high and low winds and wind surges. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator having safe operation and increased fuel efficiency. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator with reduced peak temperature and emissions. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator that can be overridden. It is another object of the present invention to provide an air control regulator which is less likely to have a sudden influx of heat. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator capable of limiting the size of the chimney fire by limiting the availability of air during combustion. Another object of the present invention is to provide an air control regulator capable of withstanding cold start.

The present invention may be described as an air control regulator, generally comprising a body, preferably a cylindrical body, which may be coupled to an air inlet of a firebox, stove, boiler or the like. The body has a movable disc that is adapted and assembled to slide along a first support rod in one direction corresponding to the incoming air and in the opposite direction to gravity. Further, the size of the air flow path for the air flowing by the disk can be adjusted to improve the combustion efficiency of the firebox.

Preferably, the first support is adjustablely supported by a crossbar radially mounted to the body of the control regulator.

Preferably, the second support is adjustablely supported by the bar, and an upper disc stop member is mounted thereon. Preferably, the upper disk stop member has an aperture that allows the first support to slide through and prevents the disk from moving any further during use.

Preferably, the first support has a lower disk stop member which prevents the disk from moving further down during use.

In this preferred embodiment, the body has an inner ovalid opening having a plurality of arc-shaped depressions and scalloped lips. The oval opening leads to a chamber-shaped venturi with tapered walls. The airflow entering the oval opening contacts a plurality of arc shaped depressions, forming a plurality of air columns. The number of air columns depends on the number of arc-shaped depressions.

In a preferred embodiment, the disk has a plurality of holes through which air passes through.

Preferably, the control regulator may be connected with the combustion chamber.

If the fire draws enough air, the airflow will lift the disk from the lower disk stop and lift it into the venturi chamber. The upper disk stop member, adjustable vertically to the second support, restricts vertical movement upward of the disk. A plurality of air pillars in the venturi chamber hold the disk in a stable position. The weight of the disk acting under gravity then causes the disk to move down, pushing the flow of air against the tapered side of the venturi chamber and narrowing the flow of air. This movement slowly weakens the volume of air drawn into the combustion chamber or the stove and allows the disk member to continue slowly descending towards the bottom of the venturi chamber. Once the disk is at the bottom of the venturi chamber, air flows around the disk through a hole between the ovaloid perimeter and the disk. In this step, the disc is no longer supported by the air column and is lowered to the resting position of the lower disc stop member. The result is lean burn combustion, which can be repeated by turning off the fire or by stalking the aforementioned cycle again.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a control regulator.

2 is a front view of the control regulator.

3 is a plan view of a typical firebox manifold arrangement coupled to a control device.

4 is a side view of the same arrangement shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is another side view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3. FIG.

6 is a perspective view of the inlet end of the control regulator.

7 is a graph showing the efficiency of the control regulator in the firebox compared to the firebox without the controller.

The following description will explain the invention in terms of preferred embodiments of the invention. The present invention is not limited to this preferred embodiment. It is apparent that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1, the control regulator 1 comprises a body 4, which body 4 is preferably substantially cylindrical in shape, length 5, variable inner and outer diameters ( 12) 13, a non-attachable end 6, and an attachable end 7. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the engageable end 7 has an internal thread 8 for coupling the control regulator to the firebox manifold 2 or equivalent. Other means of coupling the control regulator are equally possible, including but not limited to press fitting or external threading. Incoming air enters the body 4 through the non-engageable end 6, flows through the body, and exits from the engageable end 7.

The body 4 has an outer wall defining an outer wall surface 9 and an inner wall defining an inner wall surface 10. The outer wall surface 9 and the inner wall surface 10 further define a variable wall thickness with an inner diameter 12 and an outer diameter 13 varying along the length 5. In one embodiment, the shoulder 14 of the outer wall is formed in a stepped manner to facilitate detachable coupling of the control regulator to any external device such as the manifold 2. . The outer wall can be of any desired shape and dimension. The non-joinable end 6 has a front outer corner edge 15 and an inner corner edge 16.

The inner wall surface 10 may be similar or dissimilar in shape to the outer wall surface 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner wall surface 10 has a lower first portion 20 (the first portion leads the second portion upwards), a third portion 22 over the second portion, And an inner configuration that includes an uppermost fourth portion 23. In a preferred embodiment, the inner wall surface 10 is formed in a stepped manner including thinner, angled or bent portions forming the venturi chamber.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fourth portion 23 is an inner wall that is substantially parallel to the inner thread 8 for engaging the tubing, the manifold 2, or any equivalent air receiving means that may be connected to the chamber. And an outer wall.

As also shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 20 is tapered inwards before reaching into the venturi chamber formed by the top of the body 4. The venturi chamber includes a blocked portion over a circumferential line 25. The inner surface 24 located in the second part 21 does not form a general single curvature, but comprises a series of different interconnected curved surfaces consisting of different diameters and ovals. The first part 20 located at the inlet or front face of the regulator body 4 can be formed in a planar inclination, and in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. It can consist of a curved slope of the diameter is three semi-diameters spaced the same distance around the inner edge of the regulator body (4). The radius bends at and towards the center of the body. Although three radii are shown in FIG. 2, the number of diameters may be more or less than three.

 The control regulator 1 has a support crossbar 30 that extends across the diameter of the regulator body 4 and is located near the engageable end 7 of the body 4. The support bar 30 has ends 31, 32 which are supported at the ends 31, 32 by the thickness of the body wall. The support bar 30 is screwed, first fixing means 34 such as engaging with screw fixing means, and / or wedging or other equivalents accessible from the shoulder 14. It can be detachably fixed and adjustablely coupled. As shown in FIG. 1, the support bar 30 is located in the third part 22. The support bar 30 can be adjusted to rotate in the arc and longitudinal directions. The support bar 30 may further include a hole or a solid cross section having a set thickness, diameter, and shape that may be circular or rectangular. The support bar 30 may further include two holes 35 and 36 spaced apart from each other.

The holes 35, 36 are sized to allow the first and second supports 40, 41 to penetrate so that the supports 40, 41 are substantially parallel to the body length 5 and to each other. Headed. The first support 40 guides the movement of the disk 43, and further includes a lower disk stop member 42. The disc 43 has a central hole and is disposed around the first support 40 and can move vertically along it. The lower disc stop member 42 is located near the non-engageable end 6. The first support 40 is supported adjustablely and slidably around the engageable end 7. Preferably, the support bar 30 further includes a second fixing member 37 for coupling to the first support 40. The second fixing member 37 preferably includes a guide pin and a locking screw extending in the support bar 30 and in contact with the side surface of the first support 40. The guide pin and locking screw can be loosened or fixed to move the first support 40 upward or downward. As shown in FIG. 1, the first support 40 may be centrally located on the body 4. The first support 40 can be installed and positioned so that the first support 40 can later and rotatably be adjusted if necessary.

The support bar 30 may further include a second fixing member 38 for fixing the second support 41. The third fixing member 38 preferably comprises a guide pin and a locking screw located in the range of the length of the support bar 30. One end of the third fastening member 38 is in contact with the second support 41, and the other end of the third fastening member is in contact with and coincides with the outer wall surface 9 to enable adjustment of the second fastening member when necessary. do. The second support 41 provides fixed support for the upper disk stop member 45. The upper disk stop member 45 preferably further comprises a first hole 46 which allows the first support 40 to slide through. If necessary to position the upper disk stop member 45, the second support 41 can be adjusted independently. When the first support 40 moves up, the disk 43 eventually comes into contact with the upper disk stop member 45 and any further upward movement is restricted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the disc member 43 has a disc diameter smaller than the at least one hole 47 and the main internal diameter of the body 4, such that the disc 43 has a first support. 40 can be slidably moved up and down between the upper and lower disk stop members 45 and 42, so that air flow can be blocked if necessary. Preferably, the upper disk stop member 45 may cover any hole in the disk 43. Preferably, the disk 42 may further include a hole 48 located at the center. The hole 48 allows the disk 43 to slidably engage the first support 40. The disc 43 can be made from the specified dimensions and material type ��� depending on the desired implementation.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first portion 20 includes a plurality of arc-shaped recesses 49, an oval-shaped opening 50, and a plurality of fan-shaped edges 51. . In a preferred embodiment, there are three arc-shaped depressions 49 and three fan-shaped edges 51 spaced about the edge 16 of the oval opening 50 by the same distance. As air passes through the oval opening 50, three air columns are formed as the air stream contacts the arc-shaped recess 49. Other numbers of arc-shaped depressions and scalloped edges are possible. The number of air pillars formed depends on the number of arc-shaped depressions.

The control regulator 1 can be coupled to the present firebox. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the control regulator 1 can be reinforced in the current firebox by drilling a hole in the back of the firebox with a drill or a punch. The manifold 2 is an elbow-shaped part for coupling to the covered end 53, a metering vent 54, and the control regulator 1, the part being dependent on the size of the regulator and the firebox. It may be a part of the "T" shape. The quantitative vent hole 54 may be made to a certain size depending on the compatibility with the control regulator (1). Reinforcing the control regulator 1 will not interfere with the operation of any of the present controllable air vents.

The control regulator 1 automatically controls and limits the amount of air flow entering the enclosed firebox, combustion chamber, stove or the like, which in turn affects the heat output. The moving disk 43 regulates the air flow by slidably moving the first support 40 up and down between the lower and upper disk stop members 42, 45.

The control regulator 1 is in the open position when the disc 43 rests on the lower disc stop member 42. When the disc 43 rests in the open position, air enters the body 4 freely. When the fire is ignited, the drawn air flows past the disk 43 through the first portion 20 and contacts a plurality of arc-shaped depressions including the first portion 20 and a fan-shaped edge. As a result, a plurality of air pillars are formed. When the fire is drawing enough air, the disc 43 is lifted past the oval opening 50, which is formed by the venturi chamber, which is formed by the second and third portions 21, 23. Could be. The upper disc stop member 45 can preferably be adjusted perpendicularly to the second support 41 and limits the maximum flow of air. The disc 43 can be supported seamlessly by the resulting plurality of air columns. As a result, gravity reduces the volume and velocity of air drawn into the combustion chamber of the firebox, while slowly causing the weight of the disk 43 to direct the air flow to the tapered side of the venturi chamber. The disc 43 then opens the disc 43 through a plurality of holes between the oval opening 50 and the air at the point of the oval opening 50 and the oval opening 50 and the disc 43. Will begin to descend slowly). In this step, the disc is no longer supported by the air column and descends to a resting point. The result is lean-burn combustion, which can be repeated by turning off the fire or by stalking the aforementioned cycle again.

7 shows an unfired firebox 1; A closed firebox 2 with a control regulator with a closed air vent and a removed air duct; And for a closed firebox (3) with a control regulator with closed air vents and removed air ducts, plotted in degrees Celsius (Y-axis) versus time (X-axis) obtained at the rear of the firebox at 30-minute intervals. Shows.

The firebox temperature difference at the peak between (1) and (2) is 100 ° C. The difference between (1) and (2) after 3 hours shows that the control regulator has a significant advantage. At the time of five hours, the reconstructed firebox 2 still returns to 150 ° C., while the unconverted firebox 1 is extinguished. At the time of five hours, (2) maintains an approximately 50% higher efficiency level than (1). Therefore, the control regulator has a significant effect on heat output over time by maintaining the heat output for a longer period of time and reducing the peak temperature.

While the foregoing has been given by the method of the embodiments of the present invention, other modifications and changes which are apparent to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope and scope of the invention described herein.

Claims (10)

A hollow body having an inlet and an outlet (the body has an inlet and an outlet, and a channel is formed through which the air flows, the outlet being an air flow Possibly connected to the inlet and a firebox); A disc positioned on the body and movable along a first support rod coupled to the body, the disc being adapted to provide resistance to the airflow, The body includes an inner surface that is formed to form the airflow as an air current when air is drawn through the body, and in the vicinity of the disk, the inner surface is defined by the disk as the first surface. 1 provide air passages of varying sizes when moving along the supports); Upper and lower stop members that limit the maximum movement of the disk (when air is not flowing through the body, the disk is pressed by gravity against the lower stop member, and An air control regulator of the firebox comprising a volume of air passing through the body, controlled by the movement of the disk within the body, as it moves along the first support towards the upper stop member in response to air flow; firebox air control regulator). The method of claim 1, An underside of the inner surface includes an ovalid opening that is larger than a boundary of the disc. The method of claim 2, And the periphery of the egg-shaped opening is spaced from a plurality of intermittently spaced intervals, and is formed from an arc-shaped depression and a fan-shaped edge. The method of claim 2, The inner surface above the oval opening is arranged to form a venturi chamber. The method of claim 1, And the first support is supported by a support bar. The method of claim 5, The support bar is rotatable and longitudinally adjustable by a first fixing member. The method of claim 6, The first support further comprises a lower stop member. The method of claim 7, wherein And the upper stop member is supported by a second support coupled to the support bar. The method of claim 8, And said second support is rotatable by a third fixing member and longitudinally adjustable. The method of claim 9, And said second support comprises an upper disk stop member.

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